We cannot express enough gratitude that we have for the Potential Development Program.  The dedicated school staff continues to help Jared and all of the students advance.  We continue to see improvements in Jared and continue to hope for his bright future.

Sincerely,
Brian and Marilyn
Parents of Jared

Cameron

I have been thinking back to what I felt the first time I stepped into Potential Development, and it’s the same feeling I have now.  A caring, safe, loving place I felt comfortable taking my child.

Cameron, now 6 and finishing his third year with Potential, really loves going to school.  Everyone made sure his needs were met.  A completely dedicated staff, knowledgeable in educating autistic children, opened doors for him that I never dreamed of.  They have not only exceeded the goals set for Cameron, but also helped him develop character and encouraged him to be independent.

I can’t imagine leaving the program; I get teary just thinking about it.  But, as that time approaches, I only found out how much more the people at Potential had to offer.  You have been beside me through the whole IEP process, gone to the meeting and kept me informed of any evaluations done on Cameron at school.  The teachers and staff have made this transition so much easier for us.

I can’t say enough good things about you all, like an extended family that I will miss seeing on a daily basis.  The daily contact is one of the things that helped Cameron progress, we were always on the same page.  If the teachers that Cameron works with in the future are as hard working and dedicated as those at Potential, we will have it made.

It has been an amazing 3 years, so many memories, it’s hard to say goodbye.  I will definitely recommend this program to anyone with an autistic child.  You have made a difference in Cameron’s quality of life and you’ve made a difference in our family!

Sincerely,
Nancy

Brian has a diagnosis of autism with severe communication delays.  He has been enrolled at Potential Development School of Autism for about 6 years, leaving briefly to attend a school in Columbus where his mother moved.  Brian is non-verbal although he will try to imitate sounds and words.  He does not have spontaneous speech.  He uses gestures and a few signs to communicate.  Brian could also be aggressive towards his teachers and other students.  He had difficulty attending to any task or even sitting at his desk for longer than a couple of minutes.

Since Brian began attending Potential Development, he has made slow but steady progress.  The aggressive behavior becomes less each year. However, this year he has made phenomenal progress.

Brian is now able to sit at his desk and complete all tasks 3 times a day.  He his also able to sit and attend to 3 group lessons.  The aggressive behavior is non-existent.  Brian also works one-on-one with the teacher very cooperatively.  Academically, Brian has made excellent progress.  He recognizes many words in our Edmark Reading Program as well as color words and words on his schedule such as math, lunch, restroom, etc.  He can recognize and sequence 1-20 and match numbers and sets to 10.  His handwriting has also greatly improved.  He writes within ½ inch lines and his formation of letters is excellent.

Brian is also beginning to exhibit appropriate play with toy cars and interacts with peers during free time with some prompting.

Brian still has difficulty with expressive language and we are now experimenting with several augmentative communication devices to find a right match for Brian.

There isn’t one particular thing that helped Brian make so much progress.  Over time the structure and consistency of the program gave Brian the tools he needed to begin reaching his full potential.  Brian has a great start now and we are confident he will continue to make progress.